


Healing Process

by seleniticexplorer



Series: Bioshock one-shots [5]
Category: BioShock
Genre: Bittersweet, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, PTSD, Post-Game, beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 08:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6974932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seleniticexplorer/pseuds/seleniticexplorer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Bioshock, Jack and Tenenbaum are caring for the rescued Little Sisters together.  They decide to take the family to the beach one afternoon, but this brings up some painful memories  for Jack and Brigid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healing Process

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the idea that they all lived together after escaping Rapture with Tenenbaum acting as mom to the Little Sisters and Jack, even though it might be AU (???). My poor babies need a break!
> 
> Also probably gonna need editing later because it's late and I probably made a lot of grammar errors. ^^;

Tenenbaum smiled as she watched the little girls run along the surf. They were laughing and shouting, kicking the foam and splashing in the calm, cool waves lapping at the sea shore. Tenenbaum sighed in contentment, glancing at Jack beside her.

“Why not go play with them, Jack?” the German asked kindly, cocking her head toward the children. “You deserve a little time to be a child for once.”

Jack smiled, watching the girls with a slightly distant look in his eyes. He shrugged. “I dunno,” he said, absently pushing a pile of sand to cover his bare feet. “I don’t like the ocean very much…”

Chuckling a bit wryly, Tenenbaum watched him. “You know Rapture is far away Jack. No Big Daddies are hiding in the waves, I promise.”

“Nah, it’s just… I don’t like the idea that… that he’s down there somewhere…”

Tenenbaum’s smile faded.

Fontaine. 

It probably didn’t matter in Jack's mind that the monster was dead. The boy still grew tense sometimes when anything triggered memories of Rapture or his time under Fontaine’s control. He had almost sucker-punched the town grocer the day before when the poor man had asked Jack if he would “kindly” help him unload a shipment of wares.

“I understand,” she murmured in response to Jack, sour memories tugging at her heart too. “I can’t say I’m particularly fond of the ocean myself…”

Jack seemed to relax a bit at her sympathy, leaning back on his elbows in the warm sand.

Just at that moment, one of the girls came scampering up the shore toward them. “Jack! Jack!” she called as she came up to him. She grinned down at him, triumph in her eyes, before shoving him squarely in the chest with her tiny hand. “You’re it!” she crowed, careening back toward the ocean.

“Clara!”

Tenenbaum smirked to herself as Jack struggled to his feet and bounded after the girl toward the ocean, his reluctance forgotten as he joined the game. 

It was true that they had given the girls a second chance when escaping from Rapture, but in a way, the girls were saving Tenenbaum and Jack too.


End file.
